Ok, I know it isn't Monday. I'm behind this week. But tonight my chef husband cooked a nearly meatless meal of tofu and broccoli stir fry (oyster sauce makes it not so entirely meatless I suppose). It isn't anything special by the sound of it, but what made it special for us was the locally made tofu we purchased this week.Last week I was reading some amazing food reviews in the Willamette Weekly and sure enough I read about some local tofu. This we had to try. There were several stores on our side of town not too far from us. Bui Natural Tofu got great reviews on places like Yelp. Ota Tofu also sounded delicious and Thanh Son Tofu, which was the closest to us so we gave it a try first. They had fresh tofu by the block in many different forms (firm, fried, etc.) was just too much to resist and a whole lot cheaper too. Only about $2.50 for 2lbs of tofu (Safeway here charges $1.99 for something floating in plastic for who knows how long).
Simple, yummy - it had our daughter asking "can I have more tofu daddy" oh, and she ate her broccoli too. A cheap meal, full of healthy stuff, throw in some seasonal veggies next time and I think we may have found a new family favorite. We can't wait to try the other stores and do some more tofu-tasting.
Next thing you know, you'll be making your own soymilk/nutmilk and your own tofu. Both are super-easy. And yes, there is a world of difference in hand-crafted tofu compared to supermarket tub tofu. I've found, however, that hand-crafted tofu has a really short shelf-life. I only buy it when I'm ready to use it that same day. The tub tofu stays good for a while, so I usually have some in the 'meatless' compartment in my fridge.
ReplyDeleteI thought you'd be interested this news announcement today:
Celebrity Chef Mario Batali, The King of Pancetta, Embraces Meatless Monday
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/05/05/2728326/celebrity-chef-mario-batali-the.html#ixzz0n5Mt0gry
So, I have to plug for Ota Tofu, but go get it fresh at Anzen, not the sealed package kind. I agree with Jeannie that it's better if used the same day, but they told me at Anzen that if you change the water daily it keeps for a few days. It's so good, even Drew liked it. I had to try it when the lady at Anzen said that Japanese people in town for conventions come buy it to bring it home. It's kind of a creamy, crumbly texture with a nutty taste. Yes, an actual taste.
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